24 Best U.S. National Parks to Visit in 2026
Quartz's 2026 overview of the top national parks in the U.S., informed by U.S. News & World Report rankings and expert insights, showcases 24 parks, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Hawaii Volcanoes. It emphasizes essential details like the necessity for timed-entry reservations at popular locations (Yosemite, Zion, Glacier) and advance permits for certain activities (Half Dome, Grand Canyon river excursions). Seasonal differences are highlighted, with some parks closing in winter (North Rim) and others having brief summer seasons (Denali). The guide provides information on each park's size, geology, wildlife, and accessibility. The National Park Service oversees 63 parks in 30 states, many requiring timed-entry during peak periods. Visitors should verify entry rules and weather conditions before planning their trips.
Key facts
- The National Park Service oversees 63 national parks across 30 states.
- U.S. News & World Report's rankings combine travel expert input with visitor votes.
- Yellowstone protects 2.2 million acres and has more active geysers than anywhere else on Earth.
- Grand Canyon's South Rim is open year-round, while the North Rim closes mid-October to mid-May.
- Yosemite requires a reservation to enter by vehicle during the busiest stretches.
- Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park and charges no entrance fee.
- Zion's Angels Landing hike requires a permit awarded through a seasonal lottery.
- Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens in stages between late May and late June.
- Grand Teton was first established in 1929 and expanded in 1950 after John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated land.
- Rocky Mountain's Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved highway in the U.S.
- Acadia was the first national park established east of the Mississippi River, in 1919.
- Arches has more than 2,000 documented natural stone arches, the highest concentration in the world.
- Bryce Canyon holds the largest concentration of hoodoos found anywhere in the world.
- Canyonlands is divided into four districts separated by the Green and Colorado rivers.
- Death Valley holds the record for hottest air temperature ever reliably recorded: 134°F in July 1913.
- Joshua Tree sits where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet.
- Sequoia protects the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume.
- Redwood National and State Parks protect coast redwoods that can exceed 350 feet in height.
- Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano at 14,410 feet, the tallest peak in the Cascade Range.
- Olympic National Park packs three distinct ecosystems: temperate rainforest, alpine mountains, and coastline.
- Big Bend borders Mexico for roughly 118 miles and is among the least visited large national parks.
- Everglades is the only place where American alligators and American crocodiles live side by side.
- Denali has only one road, unpaved, and most private vehicles cannot drive past mile 15.
- Glacier Bay has no road access and is reachable only by boat or small plane.
- Hawaii Volcanoes protects Kilauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active volcanoes on Earth.
- Haleakalā's summit is 10,023 feet and often above the clouds.
Entities
Artists
- Mary Colter
- John D. Rockefeller Jr.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Institutions
- National Park Service
- U.S. News & World Report
- U.S. Geological Survey
- UNESCO
- Quartz
Locations
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Idaho
- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Arizona
- Yosemite National Park
- California
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Zion National Park
- Utah
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Colorado
- Acadia National Park
- Maine
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Nevada
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Washington
- Olympic National Park
- Big Bend National Park
- Texas
- Everglades National Park
- Florida
- Denali National Park and Preserve
- Alaska
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Haleakalā National Park
- Hawaii
- Old Faithful
- Grand Prismatic Spring
- Lamar Valley
- Hayden Valley
- Dunraven Pass
- Old Faithful Inn
- Lake Yellowstone Hotel
- West Yellowstone
- Gardiner
- Cody
- South Rim
- North Rim
- Flagstaff
- Williams
- Mather Point
- Hopi Point
- Bright Angel Trail
- South Kaibab Trail
- Phantom Ranch
- Desert View Drive
- Desert View Watchtower
- Yavapai Point
- El Capitan
- Half Dome
- Yosemite Valley
- Yosemite Falls
- Vernal Fall
- Nevada Fall
- Mist Trail
- Mariposa Grove
- Grizzly Giant
- Tuolumne Meadows
- Tioga Road
- Cades Cove
- Clingmans Dome
- Newfound Gap Road
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Gatlinburg
- Elkmont
- Zion Canyon
- Virgin River
- Angels Landing
- Scout Lookout
- The Narrows
- Kolob Canyons
- Kolob Terrace Road
- Lava Point
- Subway
- Emerald Pools
- Zion Lodge
- Going-to-the-Sun Road
- Logan Pass
- Grinnell Glacier
- Many Glacier
- Highline Trail
- Two Medicine
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Alberta
- Canada
- Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
- Upper Waterton Lake
- Teton Range
- Jenny Lake
- Hidden Falls
- Inspiration Point
- Jackson Lake
- Snake River
- Jackson Hole
- Oxbow Bend
- Cascade Canyon Trail
- Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
- Moose
- Trail Ridge Road
- Bear Lake Road
- Moraine Park
- Horseshoe Park
- Sheep Lakes
- Emerald Lake Trail
- Nymph Lake
- Dream Lake
- Longs Peak
- Mount Desert Island
- Schoodic Peninsula
- Isle au Haut
- Cadillac Mountain
- Park Loop Road
- Sand Beach
- Thunder Hole
- Otter Cliff
- Great Head
- Bar Harbor
- Delicate Arch
- Devils Garden
- Landscape Arch
- Double O Arch
- Windows
- Fiery Furnace
- Sunrise Point
- Sunset Point
- Bryce Point
- Navajo Loop
- Queens Garden
- Island in the Sky
- Mesa Arch
- Grand View Point
- Needles
- Maze
- Horseshoe Canyon
- Cataract Canyon
- Furnace Creek
- Badwater Basin
- Zabriskie Point
- Artists Palette
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Stovepipe Wells
- Mount Whitney
- Mojave Desert
- Colorado Desert
- Hidden Valley
- Jumbo Rocks
- Keys View
- Coachella Valley
- Salton Sea
- San Andreas Fault
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Oasis of Mara
- General Sherman Tree
- Giant Forest
- Moro Rock
- Great Western Divide
- Kings Canyon
- Cedar Grove
- Mineral King
- Generals Highway
- General Grant Tree
- Nation's Christmas Tree
- Sierra Nevada
- Tall Trees Grove
- Fern Canyon
- Gold Bluffs Beach
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods
- Prairie Creek Redwoods
- Highway 101
- Paradise
- Skyline Trail
- Sunrise
- Wonderland Trail
- Longmire
- Hoh Rainforest
- Hall of Mosses
- Hoh River
- Hurricane Ridge
- Port Angeles
- Rialto Beach
- Ruby Beach
- Lake Crescent
- Sol Duc
- Rio Grande
- Chisos Mountains
- Chisos Basin
- Window Trail
- Lost Mine Trail
- Santa Elena Canyon
- Hot Springs
- Homestead
- Shark Valley
- Tamiami Trail
- Everglades City
- Anhinga Trail
- Ten Thousand Islands
- Wilderness Waterway
- Pa-hay-okee Overlook
- Denali
- Alaska Range
- Wonder Lake
- Gustavus
- Margerie Glacier
- Johns Hopkins Inlet
- Kilauea
- Mauna Loa
- Kilauea Iki Trail
- Chain of Craters Road
- Thurston Lava Tube
- Volcano House
- Haleakalā
- Maui
- Sliding Sands Trail
- Kipahulu
- Pipiwai Trail
- Waimoku Falls
- Road to Hana
- Silversword
Sources
- Quartz —